Somewhere Back In Time
by theinsaneone666
Summary: Harry was sent to Azkaban. He broke out, but wanted to make those who had brought misery & pain on him and his loved ones suffer. That began with Bellatrix Black. An incident in the Veil Room leaves him in a precarious position; he has the power to change the future but at what cost? Will he succeed at his quest, or will he find he's doomed everyone he's ever known & loved forever?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: This is all J.K. Rowling's. This story is a work of fiction. Anything you recognise is JKR's, everything else is mine. No profit is being gained by this.**

**Hi guys. This is my Harry and Bellatrix story I'm making. There will be elements in here that are present in other stories of this pairing, but ultimately, this will be unique and add a twist to these two very interesting characters. So, without further ado, I give you Somewhere Back In Time…**

**Somewhere Back In Time…**

**Prologue**

"_From the deadliest hate often comes the deepest love" - Socrates_

The Ministry was empty. The tired and weary workers had all left to go back home, only to face another gruelling, laborious day tomorrow. It wasn't that the work was too hard; it was the _workload_ that got to them. Reports, interviews, memos, letters, filing, guarding and trials took up the day of all twenty three thousand workers, along with searching for a certain escaped prisoner of Azkaban. Not to mention the added panic of He Who Must Not Be Named being back. Fifteen years they'd had peace and prosperity. Fifteen long years. But now Voldemort was back, back for good. Disappearances were already happening, people being found in their states of grisly death. Muggles were being murdered for sport and all around the country, people were fearing for the very lives of themselves, their family and their friends.

The Atrium seemed strangely dead without the usual hustle and bustle of the working day. It was all deathly silent until a peculiar grinding and clanking noise disturbed the silence. A stereotypical London phone box descended into the middle of the cold, hard, polished floor. Then, with what seemed to be exaggerated cautiousness, a stranger stepped out of the door and watched as the box disappeared to its origins. Whoever it was, they then turned around.

The stranger was quite evidently a young man, probably no older than sixteen. His face had a tired, weary, gaunt look about it, as if he hadn't been eating well and had been living rough. His messy black hair was spiking out in all directions, looking completely untameable, and making the stranger look incredibly dishevelled. He was slim, but tall. He wore a tattered black trench coat on top of his filthy T-shirt. His jeans were ripped and muddy and the trainers he was wearing looked as if they were barely held together.

But the most noticeable feature about this stranger was his eyes. They were of the most piercing, brightest green, and looked absolutely stunning. When those eyes looked into your own, it was quite hard to pull away. They seemed to go right through your body and examine the very deepest, darkest secrets hidden within your soul. It was these eyes that unnerved people when they caught them. There was something unnatural about them; some would say there was a steely determination and hardness of character that those eyes gave off like radiation. But from where this stranger had been, and all he had suffered, they shouldn't have been bright at all. In fact, they should have been lifeless and dull.

The stranger started to move. Almost immediately, his trainers started to squelch noisily, the sounds echoing across the vast, expanse space. Cursing under his breath impatiently, he cast a hurriedly murmured Silencing Charm on them. He took small, measured steps, moving stealthily to the Fountain of Magical Brethren. He smirked. Memories of what happened to this Fountain flooded his mind, but he pushed them impatiently away and focused on the task in hand. He quickly ran over to the left. Passing doors down the corridor, he came to another door which led to a dead end. He looked down at the handle. It was the door to the Prophecy Room. Swallowing, and then hesitating ever so slightly, he turned it.

He muttered the Lighting Charm and looked into the cavernous space that was laid out before him. It was to be expected. After he and his _friends _had finished here, all the prophecies that had ever been recorded were destroyed. Smashed pieces of glass and splintered wooden shelves littered the floor. It seemed the Ministry had decided not to clean up the mess that had been created by their escapade. But now was not the time to reminisce. He had more, _much_ more important things to do. He walked slowly to the door that had led to all the trouble in the first place, his feet crunching as he trod on the debris. He reached the door to the Death Chamber, the Veil Room, which held the Veil. He opened it and jumped.

He hurtled down rapidly towards the ground, and then suddenly he stopped inches from the floor. Then just as suddenly, he dropped. When he picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself down (though really there was no need, as it wouldn't help improve his appearance), and had got over being slightly winded, he looked around. He was slightly taken aback by what he saw. The Room was littered with old objects. Chalices, broken Time-Turners, potion bottles, old wands even. They were all there. He wandered around, staring at random. It looked like a dumping ground. He poked and prodded various objects as he walked, wand drawn and ready in case there was any disturbance. It was different to the last time he had been here. It had been clean. But now it looked like someone had picked up the rubbish from the Prophecy room and decided to deposit it here. As he walked, he thought of what was going on in Britain.

This day had ended but a new era of terror was beginning for Britain. After a year of denying the facts, although they were quite plainly staring him in the face, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, announced to Magical Britain that Lord Voldemort was back. The public of course had been outraged, and it was only the matter of Fudge promising to do something to combat the upcoming threat of the Death Eaters and Voldemort that kept him in office. The stranger snorted. That spineless bowler hat-spinning cowardly fraud didn't deserve to be Minister, let alone work in the Ministry. Though thinking about it, no-one else was adequate to do the job. He wouldn't vote for anybody, but in his position that he was in, he couldn't even vote even if he wanted to. See, he had been betrayed, by certain people who he thought he could trust with his life. But it turned out he couldn't trust them to give him the correct time of day if he'd asked.

But the icing on the cake had been when he'd found out they'd been siphoning funds out of his Gringotts account, under the pretence he'd been betrothed to the daughter, Ginny Weasley, and so it made no difference whether they were taking money or not. He held nothing against Ginny, as her bitch of a mother had probably roped her into it. But that didn't matter anymore, as Ginny was no longer around to be part of the plan. And that had been his fault. He recognised of course, that some of the blame resided with him, but not all of it. He had told them to get down. He'd have preferred one of the others to die; they deserved it, but not Ginny. She was like a sister to him. Hell, she _was_ a sister to him…

He continued his walking until he had walked a full circle of the Chamber. He stopped in front of the dais, on top of which was the Veil. His eyes filled with tears involuntarily, as he remembered what had happened long ago. Sirius didn't deserve to die. It was all the fault of he who stood there, he who fell for Voldemort's stupid visions, he who couldn't be bothered to learn Occlumency, for which his beloved Godfather paid the price.

And it was the fault of one bloody Albus Dumbledore. The stranger spat on the floor, his facial features contorted in pure rage and loathing. The old man had set him up, engineered his fall. It was due to the old man that Sirius was dead, that the stranger had the most screwed up upbringing possible. It was the old man's fault he had lost all his _friends_, though that was probably for the best, considering how the little shits had turned out, how they'd used him, betrayed him.

He had been manipulated, betrayed, fooled, and hoodwinked; everything and anything that could possibly be done to deceive a person. His whole life had been a lie, a show, and it had turned out to be that he was the most important pawn on the great chessboard, the great chess game between Lord Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore. Just another piece to be sacrificed for the _Greater Good _just like his poor parents…

At the thought of his parents, he found suddenly that the fire that had burned so brightly, then was almost snuffed out but came back as strong as ever, now burned, if possible even brighter. A sudden resolve grew over him: he was going to make everyone who ever wronged him, his parents, Sirius, whoever – _everyone was going to pay._

His patience was wearing out. She should be here, she always was. Taunting and jeering, making him feel angry. But it felt good to siphon all the anger and sadness out on her. She didn't mind. But maybe that was because he had killed her husband and her brother in law, plus some of her Death Eater friends. That's right. Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange and a few others were dead, at his hand. He couldn't remember exactly how, but he knew he didn't. It was another thing that secured his position of what he had been through. But she followed him. Every three nights, he'd visit the Veil, to remember Sirius, and sometimes she'd be there. They'd duel. She'd flee after a while, as he had powers she could only dream of. He snorted again. He remembered those same words she'd screamed at him when she demanded the Prophecy. It looked like she was eating hers now. But still she would flee, outmatched she was, but then he would as well as the Aurors would have arrived to capture him and take him back to Azkaban. But they wouldn't. They were too scared of him and his power he now wielded. His secret identity was now blown wide open. It frightened some and enraged others. He couldn't care less. He was beyond caring. That happened ages ago.

Finally he snapped.

"COME OUT BELLA! COME OUT AND PLAY WITH HARRY!" he roared.

Harry Potter's hoarse, harsh voice echoed out around the Veil Room, through the Prophecy Room and into the Atrium. It steadily grew fainter and fainter until it was as quiet as before. Hearing no sound of her coming, he kicked the nearest object; a potion bottle that was empty. He injured his toe in the process and swore loudly because of the pain. He turned back to the Veil.

He came here, once in a while for two very special reasons. Firstly, and this was his rational mind making the decision, it was because he wanted to honour Sirius for his sacrifice. It was his way of saying thank you to the man who had come closest to being a father, the person who had been most like family to him.

The second reason was down to his irrational mind state, which had rapidly bordered insanity. He had heard the voices behind the Veil, he knew he had. If it weren't for that stupid, backstabbing, know-it-all bitch called Hermione, he might have found out what it was. Harry knew Sirius had only been lurking behind, hiding from view, just teasing him. And he would have hazarded a guess that his parents were there too.

But he knew differently now. They, along with Remus, who had also tragically died in the Battle in the Department of Mysteries, had shown him differently. They had shown him his potential. They had shown him the ways of magic that other wizards and witches could only dream of. True, they were no longer here to help him, but he knew now. He saw things differently. Harry Potter was no longer the fool, the easily impressed upon, gullible, manipulated hero. He was now a major player on a now three way chessboard; he was a force to be reckoned with. Even Dumbledore and Voldemort were hesitant towards him now. They no longer knew where they stood with him. But it was simple. He was out for _revenge._

A resounding crash from far away made him whip round, wand at the ready, coat swirling, eyes alert and focused. His whole body was tense and drawn until he heard the familiar clanking and grinding that echoed around for the second time that night. He waited with baited breath for the most obvious, tell-tale sign that should follow. Sure enough, the _tap-tap_ of high heels that could only belong to one Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, were heard against the hard floor of the Atrium. His face broke into a feral grin.

"Knew you couldn't resist" he laughed.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, sat casually on a swing. She was currently in a Muggle playground, not far from Number 4, Privet Drive. And she was waiting for one Harry Potter to walk out.

The swing creaked loudly as she gently pushed herself along the ground, the tips of her black leather heeled boots just skimming the ground. She absentmindedly fingered her talon-shaped cherry wand as she gazed towards the house which was Harry Potter's residence. It hadn't been hard to find out where The Boy Who Lived was living. One Disillusionment Charm at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, King's Cross, and an invisible flight tailing that car that was a disgusting shade of blue, and she was at his doorstep. Well, not literally. Old man Dumbledore had put up some pretty sophisticated Wards. Even her old master would have some trouble bringing them down to get at the goodies inside.

Yes, that's right. Her _old _master. Lord Voldemort had kicked her out of his precious ring of Death Eaters. She hadn't left voluntarily though. Becoming a Death Eater means a lifetime of service or death. But Bellatrix didn't feel she was ready to die. Not yet anyway. She knew it would come soon, she just had that feeling, but she didn't know when. But something told her that when it did, the time would be right and she'd know what to do.

She thought back to Potter. Sure, she wanted to kill him. Not because her old master had ordered her to, that was old now; she no longer did his work. No, she wanted to kill the boy for her own purpose. And that purpose was revenge. Revenge for him taking her life away from her. It was his entire fault that she was in this crappy position that she was currently in. If he hadn't of killed her husband and her brother in law, she wouldn't have volunteered to kill him. And if she hadn't of done that, he wouldn't have beaten her, soundly mind, in their duels. Then she wouldn't have been cast out by the Dark Lord.

Her mind wandered back to the Wards the old man had set up. They were devilishly fiendish, so much so she was surprised at the cunning in the old man. It was very Slytherin. See, Dumbledore had put up Wards that allowed everyone that _didn't_ want to hurt Potter in. Everyone that did found themselves unceremoniously thrown back twenty feet and landing quite painfully on the hard concrete of the opposite pavement.

She had tried every way possible that she and her old group had known between them, but to no avail. It had all been in vain. No-one who had the intention of harming him could get through. They'd even tried Imperiusing people to go through but they found themselves on the cold, hard pavement also. It really did seem that only those who genuinely cared for the boy could get through. And whoever who set up the Wards.

She swung herself a little more, her impatience getting the better of her will to resist. In the end though, she knew she would be reckless soon. And sure enough, within five minutes, she hopped off the swing, stopped it completely with a flick of her wand, and began to walk towards the residence of Harry Potter.

Potter had gone to Azkaban, but he had escaped, and now he sometimes returned to Number 4 to get something that he wanted. She never found out what, but it had to be important. By this time, she was standing in front of the house. She glared at the front for a while then charged at it. As usual she was repelled and landed on the now very familiar bit of pavement.

"Oof!"

She landed heavily, more so than usual. Spots of light danced around in front of her eyes, as she rose slowly, trying unsuccessfully to regain her bearings of her surroundings. Eventually she did, and then she noticed then pain that was steadily throbbing on the side of her waist. A quick investigation showed it was a raised purple bruise. She sighed in exasperation.

"Another one to add to the collection" she muttered.

It was as soon as she had finished saying that, that it hit her. She wasn't entirely sure how or why, but she just knew where The Boy Who Lived would be. She saw it quite clearly in her mind's eye. She started to give a throaty laugh that soon turned into a mad cackle that caused a few prying eyes to peek out from behind the curtains in the neighbourhood. Bellatrix took no notice of them.

"Oh Harry dear, I'm coming" she called out in that annoying baby voice that she knew he loathed.

And with that, along with a quick memory charm that erased her ever being there from the memory of the residents of Privet Drive, she Disapparated with a loud _crack_.

But inside, a supressed conscience was fighting and struggling in vain to break free.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Harry ran through the rubbish of the Veil Room as fast as he could. The adrenaline had kicked in and his veins were coursing it around his body. It was going to end here. Tonight. He was not going to let her flee again. She was going to pay for taking Sirius away. He was going to kill her, and it didn't matter if the Aurors arrived. He would fight them until they turned tail and fled or he went down to never rise again.

He reached the wall in which was the door to the Prophecy Room. It was too high to levitate himself up there but he had found another way past these things ages ago. Raising his wand, he shouted the Summoning Charm.

"_Accio door!_"

Physics caught up with him and he found himself hurtling towards the door. At the last possible second, he flicked him wand and shouted again.

"_Alohomora!_"

The door flung open and Harry found himself flying across the Room and landing on the glass shards and wooden splinters of the broken prophecies and their shelves. Several pieces of glass and wood embedded themselves in various parts of his body, including his face.

"Crap!" he cursed, hissing in pain.

He rose gingerly off of the floor and began the tedious and painful process of removing each offending article from his body. Still in pain, he neglected to clean up the blood and mess caused by his abrupt landing. More pressing matters were at hand. He this time chose to move with more cautiousness around the Room, avoiding piles of debris. As he neared the door, he heard her nearing the fountain. He burst through the door and sprinted to the statues of the wizard, the witch, the centaur, the goblin and the elf. He skidded to a halt opposite the witch who he hated above all others. The woman who had had a major part in ruining his life.

Bellatrix Black.

Azkaban, like it had done to him, had done her no favours. The once beautiful face was now sunken and gaunt. The hair that used to hang in bouncing, lively curls was currently lank and matted, though the curls remained. The body boarded skeletal and her attire didn't help her appearance either, though he could hardly talk. Ripped and tattered, her battle dress hung loosely round her, some of it flapping when she moved through loss of body. But like Harry, her eyes were her most striking feature. Vivid violet and sparkling with hardly supressed eagerness to attack, they were _alive with insanity_. They held the same piercing glare that Harry's did, and they seemed to emit a glow. The only difference was that she was insane.

They held each other's glare for a moment then levelled their wands at each other. Noting each other's duelling stance briefly, they began to circle each other around the fountain. It was Bellatrix who spoke first.

"Ahh, is little ickle baby Potter here to mourn the death of his dear beloved mutt of a Godfather? Is he angry with Auntie Bella for killing the blood-traitor dog?" she cooed tauntingly.

Harry gave a small growl to that but responded with something just as hurtful.

"No. I was here to dance and jeer on the death site of your pathetic husband" he shot back.

Bellatrix's smirk turned into a snarl and she suddenly moved forward, rage contorting her face.

"You'll pay for that Potter!" she shrieked "_Crucio!_"

Harry narrowly dodged the curse and fired one back.

"_Expulso!_"

The Explosion Curse streamed from the end of Harry's wand and hurtled towards Bellatrix. She conjured an iron shield and dived left. The shield blew up and metal shrapnel was flung in all directions. Both combatants hastily erected Shield Charms which stopped them from being shredded.

"Not bad Potter. You've certainly improved since the last time we met" Bellatrix drawled.

Harry scoffed and replied.

"Oh, come on! That's a nothing spell! I was just testing to see if you still have the edge Bella" he spat.

Still they prowled around the edge of the Fountain again, trying to keep the other in sight. Spells, curses, jinxes and hexes were all traded, but all were dodged or batted away. Finally Harry got the upper hand.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" Bellatrix shouted.

"_Reducto!_" Harry yelled while simultaneously dodging the Body-Bind Curse.

His spell hit the centaur on the Fountain, which promptly exploded into millions of metal fragments. Bellatrix screamed and shielded her face with her hands while turning away. Pieces of gold lodged themselves deeply into her back and she gasped in pain as they did so.

Harry wasted no time. Moving with precision and purpose, he cast more spells to finish this off.

"_Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Impedimentia! Incarcerous!_"

Injured as she was, Bellatrix still managed to deflect each and every one of his curses as she ran as fast as possible, teeth gritted to bear the pain, towards the door to the Prophecy Room. Mentally, Harry grudgingly admitted that she was in fact very skilful and acknowledged that this wouldn't be over for a while yet. So, he took after her, hot on her tapping heels.

By this time Bellatrix had reached the door and had opened it.

"_Alohomora!_"

She stumbled inside and turned back to see The Boy Who Lived sprinting towards her as if his life depended on it. A small plan erupted in her mind and she gave a crooked smile in satisfaction in anticipation of the results. Puzzlement was etched on Harry's face when he saw she didn't close it. Just as he was about to reach it, she whipped her wand at the door, her curls flying round her head.

"_Colloportus!_" she managed to say through the mounting pain.

She heard the squelching noise that told her the door was shut tight, but then she heard the noise that she wanted hear. A resounding crash vibrated the door and the frame as Harry ran into it. She giggled when she heard him swearing and cursing on the other side. She soon grimaced however, when an especially sharp pain shot down her side. She groaned as she muttered "_Lumos_" and began to navigate her way round the debris caused by the incident a few months ago, in her quest to get as far from Potter as possible. She spotted the door and made a beeline for it, while glancing down at her wounds.

"Looks like he got me good that time. Too good" she added when she saw the darkness on her dress that was caused by blood.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Harry swore loudly when he hit the door. He should have seen that one coming, he really should have. His rage mounted when he heard her giggling on the other side. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it steadily towards the door and said "_Alohomora_".

The door opened and he blasted it aside. Stepping cautiously into the room, he sent Stunners in every direction, in case Bellatrix had decided to hide. When no spells were sent back in response, he raised his wand again.

"_Homenum Revelio!_"

He waited for the spell to swoop over the room, then he received the information; there was no-one there but him. It seemed that Bellatrix had decided to go to the Veil Room.

"_Maybe I'll get the chance to push her into it_" he thought with grim satisfaction.

And with that he made his way over to the door, his wand alight.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Bellatrix hit the ground with a soft _thump_. She hadn't remembered that there was a fall, and so hadn't expected to land like that. The impact had winded her and she found it difficult to rise up off of the floor. She stumbled on the rock that supported the Veil and her wand slid out of her hand. She groaned and tried to reach it. Inch by tantalising inch her fingers crawled towards it. She finally reached it when she heard the door open and Potter fell towards the ground.

As she watched, she hoped that the charm would fail and he would break his neck but it wasn't to be. He landed softly and picked himself up off of the floor. With his wand pointed at her, he strolled over.

"Well, well, well" he smirked as he drew level with her body on the floor, he towering over her.

"Get on with it Potter," she said hoarsely "Kill me then. You finally got me this time. So go on. End it."

She looked at his face for any sign of emotion of doubt, but only hard, steely determination resided in his emerald eyes.

"You don't honestly think I'll bring you Death that easily, do you?" he asked "I'm going to make you suffer, like you made everyone else suffer. Like you made me suffer when you killed Sirius."

She opened her mouth to reply, but never got to because he shouted the Cruciatus Curse.

"_Crucio!_"

The pain hit her like a bullet. Coupled with the agony she was already in, it was bordering unendurable. It felt like white-hot knives pierced every inch of her body, while simultaneously her skin was being ripped off and then doused in acid. It was agony beyond agony. Somehow, she was aware that someone was screaming, and with a jolt of shock, she realised it was her. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, the pain stopped. She gave a great wracking cough, and shuddered, trying unsuccessfully to rise.

"You see Bella, I took your words to heart" Harry said, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

She looked up to him, not understanding. Then it came to her.

_You have to mean them Potter!_

She groaned again. Harry looked at her.

"Was that a plea for more?" he asked jeeringly "In that case, I'll oblige…"

Bellatrix opened her mouth to protest, to ask it to stop, to beg for mercy, but she never got to. The pain started again and she was screaming, screaming in the raw, pure agony of it all.

And inside her mind, something snapped. The bonds and the forces that held her prisoner so long snapped. The potions and charms that rendered her unable to do anything but Voldemort's and her dead husband's bidding broke. Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, reverted to her normal self; the sweet, funny girl she had been before she became a slave to the Dark.

Harry saw it too. Something happened when he put her through the pain the second time around. And it was curiosity that caused him to lift it. Bellatrix had fallen onto her front, directly in front of the Veil. He moved cautiously towards her, ready for an attack…

But it never came. To Harry Potter's great astonishment, Bellatrix Black was crying. Actually crying. Huge tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed, her body convulsing because of the pain and because of the tears.

Harry was totally bewildered. He didn't know what to do. He knelt down beside her just as she turned her tearstained face towards him. What struck him were her _eyes_. They were still the brilliant violet, still vivid and bright; but they were no longer alive with _insanity_; they were alive with _life_. He stared at her for a while until she spoke.

"I'm… s-s-sorry…Harry" she croaked, her voice constricted because of the tears "I n-n-never d-did… those things v-v-voluntarily… I-I-I w-was… f-f-forced to…"

She took a great shuddering breath, before she spoke again. Harry was still looking at her, transfixed.

"I never meant to k-k-kill S-S-Siri…" she continued but it was at this point her voice cracked and she broke into a fresh wave of tears.

But Harry understood. Even with Legilimancy, he didn't need it to see the truth, the sorrow, the _remorse _radiating from her. For reasons he didn't and probably would never know, he picked her up gingerly, and hugged her. Bellatrix stiffened at first, but soon relaxed into it and sobbed harder than ever. Harry soothed her and cradled her in his arms. No-one deserved this, especially someone who had been force into it. He continued to hold her until she stopped crying and indicated that she wanted to get up.

Harry moved her so she was standing and she was steady. She was still shuddering from the aftershocks of the Curse and swayed slightly. He held her firmly.

Bellatrix looked at him. She didn't understand why he was helping her but she was grateful. Perhaps he had seen her remorse. She really did mean it. She didn't want to do those atrocities but she was forced to against her own will for twenty-six years. Nineteen she was when it happened. And it all went downhill from there.

But something was niggling at her brain. She knew what it was. Her time on this Earth was up. But she didn't want Harry to live in a broken, desolate world. She wanted him to be happy, to have his parents and his Godfather. Somehow she knew what to do and she was going to do it. Slowly, and carefully, she bent down and picked one of the broken Time-Turners off the floor. Then just as carefully, she put the chain round Harry. His face was puzzled.

"Bella, what are you…" he began.

He never finished the sentence as from far away, from above, they both heard voices and the thundering feet of a lot of Aurors. Shouts of "They're down there!" and "Quick!" filled the room. Harry, with a jolt of rage, heard Dumbledore's voice. He raised the holly wand, but Bellatrix pulled his face towards hers with her hands.

"Trust me Harry" she said.

Harry looked deep into her eyes and nodded. Grasping his face just a little more tightly, Bellatrix's lips met his, their eyes closed. She pressed gently against him as they fell backwards towards the Veil.

She released him, as he stood there struck dumb. She saw the Aurors burst through the door and the cries of "Stop!" and the spells that rained down on them.

But it made no difference. Holding Harry's hand, she pulled them both into the Veil, gone from this Universe, gone from this Time, and into another.

**I know. Emotional right? Well, what happens next is anyone's guess, but I have it all planned out. Chapter One will be up by the end of the month hopefully. If anyone has got any questions or queries, please review or PM me. And remember, please review ;)**


	2. Framed

**Disclaimer: This is all J.K. Rowling's. This story is a work of fiction. Anything you recognise is JKR's, everything else is mine. No profit is being gained by this.**

**Wow. Just wow. This story has attracted more views, followers and favourites than I could have dreamed of. Thank you to **_**everyone **_**out there who followed, favourite and reviewed this fic. If you did all three, then you are extra special and this chapter is dedicated to you guys.**

**But enough of the mushy, emotional stuff. Things are going to get darker. Harry will find he's shouldered a huge responsibility as a consequence of Bellatrix's actions. But what will happen when he goes through the Veil will not be until a couple of chapters later guys. What happens between this chapter and the aftermath of Harry going through the Veil will be incredibly important. It will explain how Harry has his new found power, and the consequences of possessing it. Ultimately, it's his wielding of the power that will determine the outcome of his destiny. But now's no the time to tell you the plot. The answer is to write it. So… I give you… chapter one… of…**

**Somewhere Back In Time…**

**Chapter One: Framed**

"_Grief_ _is_ _the price we pay for love." – Queen Elizabeth II _

The Veil flapped slightly as Harry and Bellatrix fell through, but other than that there was no other sign of the two disappearing. The first thing Harry noticed when they saw the interior of the Veil was that it was dark, dark as far as the eye could see, except in the place where he and Bellatrix stood. Still holding each others hand, they moved deeper into the Veil. Harry was worried about this, and he turned back to see if the stone archway which was the entrance was still there. The suffocating darkness was his answer; they were stuck inside.

The light which bathed them seemed to be emitting from a grey mist which swirled around them. It had an eerie glow to it, one which Harry didn't like. But he wasn't worried about that; what he did worry about was this area which he didn't like at the present moment; now was the time to figure out how to get outta here.

But it was as he thought this that he realised that Bellatrix's hand was somehow slipping from his. He turned to face her, and to his utter horror, saw her fall to the ground with a gasp. Harry put out his arms to catch her but cried out when he realised he wasn't quick enough. She fell to the floor with a thud.

Harry dropped down onto his knees beside her. His eyes followed the movement of her hand and he saw that she was trying to staunch the wounds the gold had caused. But it was the fact that the blood was leaking from everywhere that shocked him. The gold had embedded itself in her back but it was streaming like an unrestrained river from her abdomen. He was clueless on how to help her, but it occurred to him that he should help stop the blood flow. He drew his wand and went to knit the wounds, but he stopped when he heard the word.

"No."

That word was said so softly, and with so much pain, he wasn't sure if he had heard it or if he had just imagined it. Harry turned his face towards Bellatrix's. Eyes brimming with tears and barely holding her composure together, she was the absolute epitome of tragic beauty. Harry had a hard time preventing himself from breaking down there and then.

"Harry…"

Again, it was barely a whisper. Harry grabbed Bellatrix's hand and looked her in the eyes, so she knew she had his full attention. Bellatrix closed her eyes and took a deep breathe which caused her to shudder violently before continuing.

"Harry… I'm dying… no shhh" she said when he showed signs of interrupting "I'm going to go… look…"

She raised the hand that Harry was grasping. To Harry's shock, he found he couldn't get a proper grip on it. His hand was slipping and sliding, and it was then he realised that some sort of mist was seeping off of Bellatrix, joining the grey mist surrounding them. He gazed despairingly towards Bellatrix.

"Bella…" he began. Bellatrix vigorously shook her head, causing more of her to join the mist.

"Harry… you have to change this… all _this_… the misery, the hurt, the pain… you can end it… but you need to go back… back to the beginning, back to when it all started… you can do that-"

She was cut off suddenly as she gave a huge gasp of pain. Her body shook and convulsed, her face contorted as she experienced unimaginable agony. Harry watched in dread as Bellatrix's hand slid through his and fell lightly to the floor. He scrambled to grab it back, only for it to pass through his fingers like smoke. He saw Bellatrix's face, shining with glistening tears as they fell from her beautiful eyes down her pale cheeks…

That seemed to be the very thing needed to wake him up. Bellatrix was going to _die_, because of _him_? Because he was irrational and angry? Merlin's pants, not on his watch. He picked up his wand and was about to cast the necessary spells to revive her, to protect her, but Bellatrix had already started to fade away. The mist was siphoning huge streams from her now and she was gradually getting fainter and fainter. Harry couldn't take it no more.

"No- no-no-no- Bella- no –don't go- not now- not –not now" his voice struggled to work against his mounting terror.

Bellatrix gave him a tragic smile, and mouthed "_I'm sorry_". Harry looked around for anything, anyone, to stop this- to end this all- to say it was all a bad dream-

But no-one came because no-one was there. Bellatrix Black spent her last ever minutes straining to tell Harry one last thing.

"_Change it all Harry… change the past to change the future… you can do it… please Harry… change it all… change me… please_"

And with that, she gave one last contented sigh; a look of peace came over her face as the mist that surrounded her and took her to the unknown.

The light the mist had created died with Bellatrix as the mist dispersed. Harry sat there in the darkness dumbfounded, playing the last minute over and over in his head.

"_Change the past to change the future… you can do it… change it all… please Harry…_"

Then something in Harry grew. Unidentifiable at first, he soon recognised the unmistakable feeling of grief and sorrow. It got hotter and hotter, became more and more intense until he couldn't take it no more.

Harry Potter screamed aloud. He vented his rage out towards everyone and everything and with that came a tremendous shock wave that issued from his rapidly spinning magical core. The shock wave ripped through the darkness, spreading out in a circle away from its source. Harry stopped screaming long enough to see the light it created race across this barren desert, long enough for it to disappear.

He looked around, squinting through his eyes. Light just doesn't disappear. It had to come back.

He couldn't have been more right.

A small blip of white in the distance showed the point where his light wave hit something. It too then sunk and disappeared. Then it came rushing back. Like a ripple caused by a pebble hitting the surface of a pond, an intense wave of sound and light hit Harry. He only had enough time to throw up his arms to shield his face before he was tossed and turned around, buffeted by the forces of his very own grief. It hurt, by Merlin it hurt, and just when Harry couldn't take anymore, it stopped. He lay there on the floor, breathing in and out. Slowly and cautiously, he raised his head.

At first he thought nothing had happened. But he soon realised that there was a noise; a sort of crackling wispy noise. Harry pushed himself up off of whatever he was lying on and drew his wand. Tentatively, he listened for whatever the sound was. He heard it again, a single crackle. Listening as intently as he possibly could, Harry started to move towards the sound.

His feet made no sound as he skirted across the floor of the Veil. His breathing was fast and shallow, anticipation of what he was to discover flooding him. He was drawing nearer and nearer to the sound. The wisps and crackles now were becoming more and more pronounced, the sounds finer and more refined. He started to run, moving quicker and quicker. Finally, Harry found the source.

A small twisting ball of energy, pulsating and swirling in the air, hovering. Harry stood there, dumfounded. Simultaneously he wanted to leave it and go towards it and it was only because he was intrigued that he went towards it. He wanted to leave this hell. And this seemed to be the only option available. As he drew nearer, he saw the pulsating mass was actually spinning very fast.

Curiosity caused him to move closer. He walked right up to this swirling sphere, so close he was almost touching it. A feeling of recklessness came over him; what would happen if he touched it?

Slowly, he raised his hand, moving it closer and closer until his fingertips were mere inches away. Then he moved them so they brushed the surface of the swirling mass.

The effect was instantaneous; the spinning ceased. Harry withdrew his hand, wondering what he'd done. He got his answer of something very, _very_ wrong when the ball crackled violently and spun even more vigorously than before. Then, it split into two rapidly twisting masses, before fusing back into one. Then it split into four. It fused again only to then break up into eight. Harry watched with awe and mounting wariness as the sphere broke, doubling its size every time it did so. He had the sense to do something when he felt how hot each piece was when it got near enough and big enough to brush his face.

Harry drew his wand and shouted at nothing.

"STOP!"

The sphere continued its ever-growing process of splitting, fusing and spinning. Harry was getting more and more worried. Had he caused something which was irreversible? Had he done something so wrong that he might be stuck in here forever? Would he see Bellatrix ever again?

It was these thoughts that made him snap into action. Abandoning safety and throwing all caution to the wind, he raised his wand and yelled just as two thousand and ninety-six pieces of hot, dense, glowing balls of his grief fused together for one last time.

"FINITE INCANTATEM!" Harry roared this as loud as he possibly could.

Abruptly, the ball stopped spinning. Harry saw that the process it was going through repeatedly had ceased. He let out a huge sigh of relief.

But it seemed the ball had other plans. Far from stopping altogether, it was as if that it wanted to make Harry's life even more hellish than it already was at the present. It elongated, stretching out in the shape of a ladder, the rungs binding each side. But it didn't stretch out as one ladder. Oh no. More ladders were sprouting off of the main one, each with its own set of rungs. Harry gave a cry of despair. He had tried to fix a problem, only to make it worse. He ran into the mass, getting caught up and entangled in the rungs. He noticed each rung was imprinted with an eerily glowing date. The one he was looking at said 1977. He managed to wriggle free and look at more. Each had more dates. 1993, 1962, 1971. It went on and on. As he waded through he saw dates come up twice…

That was when he realised. Harry realised he was staring at Time. The timeline of his world, his universe, and the timeline of others. Then he realised with a jolt of elation that he could jump into anyone that went in his favour; no Azkaban; a dead Voldemort; no manipulative old men; his parents, Sirius and Lupin, well and alive; and most importantly, his Bella, safe and sound.

He searched for such a Time with renewed energy. If there was anyway of being able to leave this Hell, then he would take it. Harry searched everywhere, trying to find a timeline that he could jump into, but in vain. No timeline he looked at could offer him what he desired.

Feeling the waves of despair wash over him again, Harry cried aloud. It couldn't be, it just couldn't. Why was Fate so cruel as to give him force hope? He lashed out, wand pointing at any angle. Anger took hold of him; this _was not_ going to happen!

But when he lashed out, his emotional state caused accidental magical to fly out as sparks from his wand. These sparks connected to his broken Time-Turner around his neck. The Time-Turner glowed eerily all of the sudden and then a bolt of pure white light sped out, spiralling the one date that had floated into its way. That one date was one very special date to Harry. It was the day his parents fell in love: 1977. Harry didn't realise this until the other ladders and the rungs of dates disappeared. His anger ceased in a heartbeat as shock took over. He looked at it and realised what was going to happen. He backed away; he didn't want to go back to that time – he would have to meet his parents. Who knew what kind of problems that would cause if the truth of who he was got out then? He sure wasn't going to go.

Harry scrambled away from the date and ran as fast as his legs could humanly function. No, he wasn't going, he wasn't, he wouldn't-

Harry never got to finish his train of thought as he heard the rushing sound behind him. His legs seemed to grind to a halt even though his mind was telling him he was still running. His body turned around, even though he didn't make it do so. His eyes, which he did control, flickered over to the date, which was flying towards him at speed. Bracing himself, he could only stand and take the impact as it slammed into his chest, the force of it sending him flying backwards forty feet.

Harry landed harshly, the wind being knocked from his body. As he lay there, bruised and weak, he was vaguely aware of his surroundings changing. Colours and shapes whizzed past his eyes, though his rattled brain could make no sense of it. He felt the magic tingling in the air, and somehow _knew_ that he was being taken to someplace, sometime: 1977 to be precise.

And as he lay there, thinking of what the hell he would do once he was out of this shit state, memories of the last month played through his mind.

_**!-FLASHBACK-!**_

Sirius had hurtled out of nowhere, rammed Dolohov with his shoulder and sent him flying out of the way. The prophecy had again flown to the tips of Harry's fingers but he had managed to cling on to it. Now Sirius and Dolohov were duelling, their wands flashing like swords, sparks flying from their wand-tips-

Dolohov drew back his wand to make the same slashing movement he had used on Harry and Hermione. Springing up, Harry yelled, "_Petrificus_ _Totalus_!" Once again, Dolohov's arms and legs snapped together and he keeled over backwards, landing with a crash on his back.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, forcing Harry's head down as a pair of Stunning Spells flew towards them. "Now I want you to get out of- "

They both ducked again; a jet of green light had narrowly missed Sirius. Across the room Harry saw Tonks fall from halfway up the stone steps, her limp form toppling from stone seat to stone seat and Bellatrix, triumphant, running back towards the fray…

"Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville and run!" Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix. Harry did not see what happened next: Kingsley swayed across his field of vision, battling with the pockmarked and no longer masked Rookwood; another jet of green light flew over Harry's head as he launched himself towards Neville-

"Can you stand?" he bellowed in Neville's ear, as Neville's legs jerked and twitched uncontrollably. "Put your arm round my neck –"

Neville did so - Harry heaved - Neville's legs were still lying in every direction, they would not support him, and then, out of nowhere, a man lunged at them: both fell backwards, Neville's legs waving wildly like an overturned beetle's, Harry with his left arm held up in the air to try to save the small glass ball from being smashed.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!" snarled Lucius Malfoy's voice in his ear, and Harry felt the tip of Malfoy's wand pressing hard between his ribs.

"No - get - off - me . . . Neville - catch it!"

Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Neville span himself around on his back and scooped the ball to his chest. Malfoy pointed the wand instead at Neville, but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder and yelled, "_Impedimenta_!"

Malfoy was blasted off his back. As Harry scrambled up again he looked around and saw Malfoy smash into the dais on which Sirius and Bellatrix were now duelling. Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry and Neville again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Lupin had jumped between them.

"Harry, round up the others and GO!"

Harry seized Neville by the shoulder of his robes and lifted him bodily on to the first tier of stone steps; Neville's legs twitched and jerked and would not support his weight; Harry heaved again with all the strength he possessed and they climbed another step-

A spell hit the stone bench at Harry's heel; it crumbled away and he fell back to the step below. Neville sank to the ground, his legs still jerking and thrashing, and he thrust the prophecy into his pocket.

"Come on!" said Harry desperately, hauling at Neville's robes. "Just try and push with your legs-"

He gave another stupendous heave and Neville's robes tore all along the left seam - the small spun-glass ball dropped from his pocket and, before either of them could catch it, one of Neville's floundering feet kicked it: it flew some ten feet to their right and smashed on the step beneath them. As both of them stared at the place where it had broken, appalled at what had happened, a pearly-white figure with hugely magnified eyes rose into the air, unnoticed by any but them. Harry could see its mouth moving, but in all the crashes and screams and yells surrounding them, not one word of the prophecy could he hear. The figure stopped speaking and dissolved into nothingness.

"Harry, I'b sorry!" cried Neville, his face anguished as his legs continued to flounder. "Tb so sorry, Harry, I didn'd bean do-"

"It doesn't matter!' Harry shouted. 'Just try and stand, let's get out of-"

"Dubbledore!" said Neville, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body - they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thoughts of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realised he was there and yelled to the others. One of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line-

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore, too, turned towards the dais.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to tall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfathers wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the Veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing - Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second…

But Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"

He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out…

But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry-"

"Get him, save him; he's only just gone through!"

"- it's too late, Harry."

"We can still reach him-" Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go…

"There's nothing you can do, Harry… nothing… he's gone."

"He hasn't gone!" Harry yelled.

He did not believe it; he would not believe it; still he fought Lupin with every bit of strength he had. Lupin did not understand; people hid behind that curtain; Harry had heard them whispering the first time he had entered the room. Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight-"

"SIRIUS!" he bellowed. "SIRIUS!"

"He can't come back, Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d-"

"HE - IS - NOT - DEAD!" roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"

There was movement going on around them, pointless bustling, the flashes of more spells. To Harry it was meaningless noise, the deflected curses flying past them did not matter, nothing mattered except that Lupin should stop pretending that Sirius - who was standing feet from them behind that old curtain - was not going to emerge at any moment, shaking back his dark hair and eager to re-enter the battle.

Lupin dragged Harry away from the dais. Harry still staring at the archway, was angry at Sirius now for keeping him waiting-

But some part of him realised, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before… Sirius had risked everything, always, to see Harry to help him… if Sirius was not reappearing out of that archway when Harry was yelling for him as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back… that he really was-

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death haters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilised by invisible ropes; Mad-Eye Moody had crawled across the room to where Tonks lay, and was attempting to revive her; behind the dais there were still flashes of light, grunts and cries - Kingsley had run forward to continue Sirius's duel with Bellatrix.

"Harry?"

Neville had slid down the stone benches one by one to the place where Harry stood. Harry was no longer struggling against Lupin, who maintained a precautionary grip on his arm nevertheless.

"Harry… I'b really sorry…" said Neville. His legs were still dancing uncontrollably.

"Was dad man - was Sirius Black a - a friend of yours?"

Harry nodded.

"Here," said Lupin quietly, and pointing his wand at Neville's legs he said, "_Finite_." The spell was lifted: Neville's legs fell back to the floor and remained still. Lupin's face was pale. "Let's - let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?"

Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain.

"Dey're all back dere," said Neville. "A brain addacked Ron bud I dink he's all righd - and Herbione's unconscious, bud we cou'd feel a bulse-"

There was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dais. Harry saw Kingsley hit the ground yelling in pain: Bellatrix Lestrange turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it; she was halfway up the steps now-

"Harry - no!" cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arm from Lupin's slackened grip.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" bellowed Harry. "SHE KILLED HIM - 'I'LL KILL HER!"

And he was off, scrambling up the stone benches; people were shouting behind him but he did not care. The hem of Bellatrix's robes whipped out of sight ahead and they were back in the room where the brains were swimming…

She aimed a curse over her shoulder. The tank rose into the air and tipped. Harry was deluged in the foul-smelling potion within: the brains slipped and slid over him and began spinning their long coloured tentacles, but he shouted, "_Wingardium_ _Leviosa!_" and they flew off him up into the air. Slipping and sliding, he ran on towards the door; he leapt over Luna, who was groaning on the floor, past Ginny, who said, "Harry - what - ?" past Ron, who giggled feebly, and Hermione, who was still unconscious. He wrenched open the door into the circular black hall and saw Bellatrix disappearing through a door on the other side of the room; beyond her was the corridor leading back to the lifts.

He ran, but she had slammed the door behind her and the walls were already rotating. Once more, he was surrounded by streaks of blue light from the whirling candelabra.

"Where's the exit?" he shouted desperately, as the wall rumbled to a halt again. "Where's the way out?"

The room seemed to have been waiting for him to ask. The door right behind him flew open and the corridor towards the lifts stretched ahead of him, torch-lit and empty. He ran…

He could hear a lift clattering ahead; he sprinted up the passageway, swung around the corner and slammed his fist on to the button to call a second lift. It jangled and banged lower and lower; the grilles slid open and Harry dashed inside, now hammering the button marked 'Atrium'. The doors slid shut and he was rising…

He forced his way out of the lift before the grilles were fully open and looked around. Bellatrix was almost at the telephone lift at the other end of the hall, but she looked back as he sprinted towards her and aimed another spell at him. He dodged behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren: the spell zoomed past him and hit the wrought-gold gates at the other end of the Atrium so that they rang like bells. There were no more footsteps. She had stopped running. He crouched behind the statues, listening.

"Come out, come out, little Harry!" she called in her mock baby voice, which echoed off the polished wooden floors. "What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!"

"I am!" shouted Harry, and a score of ghostly Harry's seemed to chorus I am! I am! I am! all around the room.

"Aaaaaah . . . did you love him, little baby Potter?"

Hatred rose in Harry such as he had never known before; he flung himself out from behind the fountain and bellowed, "_Crucio!_"

Bellatrix screamed: the spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Neville had - she was already back on her feet, breathless, no longer laughing. Harry dodged behind the golden fountain again. Her counter-spell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor.

"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?" she yelled. She had abandoned her baby voice now. "You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain - to enjoy it - righteous anger won't hurt me for long - I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson-"

Harry was edging around the fountain on the other side when she screamed, "_Crucio!_" and he was forced to duck down again as the centaur's arm, holding its bow, span off and landed with a crash on the floor a short distance from the golden wizard's head.

"Potter, you cannot win against me!" she cried.

He could hear her moving to the right, trying to get a clear shot of him. He backed around the statue away from her, crouching behind the centaur's legs, his head level with the house-elf's.

"I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to compete-"

"_Stupefy!_" yelled Harry.

She hadn't been expecting Harry to retaliate so quickly, but Bellatrix defended herself anyway. A Shield Charm faster than Harry thought possible was brought up, but he was already moving. Something was coursing through him as he edged round the Fountain. He felt it happen. He could feel the magic growing stronger inside him; he could feel himself being affected by that.

He knew where Bellatrix was, from her harsh breathing. He knew when and where she moved, even though she didn't make a sound. Something inside him was changing, and it was changing fast. As he decided on what spells to use against her, curses, hexes, jinxes and spells ran through his mind, ready for him to use. He had no knowledge of them; he only knew them from now.

His breath hitched when he heard Bellatrix mere metres away from him. Twitching his wand anxiously, and then swallowing, he flung himself out from his hiding place and yelled.

"_Pressori Senies!_"

A deadly pressure wave streamed from the end of Harry's wand and flew towards Bellatrix. Her eyes widened as she saw it and she fired the counter-spell while Disapparating to another part of the Atrium. Harry saw through her tactics immediately and jumped onto the Fountain. Scanning the area briefly, he seemed to take note of the area even though he wasn't looking properly at it. Escape routes, places of refuge, advantages for Bellatrix and himself – it all entered his mind. His reflexes and thinking capabilities had heightened considerably. So he was ready for Bellatrix when she finally appeared.

"_Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus! Mutilo! Ventus Surgo! Sectumsempra!_"

All these curses and hexes fell from Harry's lips and blasted their way towards Bellatrix. She opened her mouth to return in kind but instead wisely chose to raise another shield and step aside.

They stood there; Harry on the Fountain; she on the hard floor, glaring at each other. They both made to speak at the same time.

"You pathetic little boy, you-"

"- filthy bitch, you killed Sirius-"

Jets of light issued from both wands as they duelled once more.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Anyone who came in would then be astounded by the amount of magic thrown around, each combatant duelling to kill the other. For Bellatrix, she was surprised, surprised that The Boy Who Lived had such great magical reserves and power; although his power didn't equal the Dark Lord's, it was close. And his magical stamina and reserves definitely outstripped Voldemort's. And it was because of these two things that she was slightly afraid of Harry, wary of his movements and his magic.

In contrast, Harry was having the time of his life. Bellatrix was currently on the defensive, and had been since the second bout had started. Magical incantations flowed from his lips, translating into jets of light that smashed and slammed into Bellatrix's faltering shields. He continuously advanced, not giving her any room or option to escape; her fleeing was not an option. He was going to destroy her.

She had tried to Disapparate a number of times but with each try came failure. Harry had cast extremely powerful Anti-Disapparation and Anti-Portkey around the entire Atrium, disabling Bellatrix's escape tactics in a single hit. The only way she'd get out was if she severely injured him. But Harry didn't feel that'd happen anytime soon.

Another spell swam to the forefront of his mind.

_Fumus Nebulae._

Harry grinned. What a surprise she'd have. With a backward flick of his wand starting from his right hip and ending in front of his heart, he finished the movement of with a wide arc, while roaring the incantation.

"_Fumus Nebulae!_"

Huge tendrils of smoke sprang from Harry's wand-tip, immediately clouding himself from Bellatrix's view. As he manoeuvred himself through the smoke, he thought the only downside to this was that he couldn't see Bellatrix either. Deciding to change that fact rather quickly, he moved into a patch of clear that meant his sight was unimpeded.

As he did so, Harry found himself looking at the exposed back of Bellatrix. Grinning wildly, he raised his wand and prepared to end this once and for all.

"_Stupef-!_"

A Bone-Crushing Curse hit Harry in the side of the face before he could complete the Stunner. He never even got to groan in pain before he was knocked for six. The bones shattered on impact and he could taste the warm metallic blood seeping into his mouth. Picking himself up off of the floor, he groaned and swayed slightly before dodging a Cruciatus Curse sent his way, courtesy of Rodolphus Lestrange. He and his brother, Rabastan, walked arrogantly into the Atrium.

It seemed the Death Eaters had created a block in the doorway of the Atrium. Harry could see the Order and his friends trying to break through to no avail. Realising he had to fight this one out for himself. He gripped his wand even tighter and stood to face assailants. As he did he caught the eye of Dumbledore and he saw the old man looking at him with a sad glint in his eye. Then Dumbledore mouthed the words to Harry. _Avada Kedavra_. To say that Harry was shocked was an understatement. The famed Leader of the Light was telling him to kill, even though he didn't kill himself. Dumbledore was totally against killing. So why was he telling Harry to kill Rodolphus? He continued to stare at Dumbledore, and he knew he should do it when he saw the old man discreetly nod his head.

"You dare attack my wife Potter?!" Rodolphus screamed, his face livid "No-one but me lays a finger on her! You boy, will suffer at my hand, you will-"

Rodolphus neither had the skill nor intelligence his wife possessed, and Harry took great pleasure in this fact as the jet of green light that had left his wand slammed into the Death Eater's chest. Rodolphus' eyes bulged slightly before he crumpled to the floor. Bellatrix screamed in horror and Rabastan bellowed in fury as Rodolphus died. He too raised his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" he yelled.

Harry neatly sidestepped the Killing Curse and responded with something just as ferocious, except it was dead on target.

"_Sectumsempra!_"

The hex hit Rabastan in the throat and he went the same way as his brother, dying almost instantly. Harry immediately turned to Bellatrix but found she had ran beyond his Wards and had alerted the other Death Eaters. Those that arrived took one look at the dead bodies of their comrades and then at Harry. One of them he recognised as Mulciber cried "You'll pay Potter! We'll take you to the Dark Lord!"

The members of the Order and his friends were still trying to get through as a hail of curses and hexes followed that proclamation sped across the room. Had they hit Harry, they would've turned him into a vegetable. But Harry wasn't going to let that happen. A powerful shield followed by an equally lethal barrage sent back caused the Death Eaters to scatter, Bellatrix among them.

A Death Eater Harry recognised as Avery suddenly tackled him from behind, pinning Harry to the floor. He looked too gleeful for his own good as he raised his wand.

"_Cruc-!_"

"_Impedimenta!_" Harry yelled.

Avery was thrown off of Harry mid-curse and landed on his back. Harry retaliated to make sure Avery couldn't do anything else anymore.

"_Mutilo!_"

The burly Death Eater's body instantly became a bloodied mess as the remaining Death Eaters screamed in rage. Green jets of light now flew over his head along with other spells now. They were aiming to kill and he was severely outnumbered.

But that was not what made Harry scared. What scared Harry was the magic he suddenly possessed and the curses he was firing around. He was using magic he'd never ever heard of, and yet it was coming to him as easily as if he'd been born with the knowledge. These were spells of mass destruction and damage that _killed_ his enemies.

He was brought out of his musings when a particularly nasty hex blew a six foot crater into the floor next to him. He moved on, taking a few more Death Eaters down, not caring if he killed or maimed. Soon he found himself face to face with Bellatrix again. She went to curse him to Hell and back, but he was too quick.

"_Levicorpus!_" he suddenly thought, the spell reaching the forefront of his mind. Bellatrix was hoisted into the air by her ankle before she could get a single syllable out. Harry Banished her away with a flick of his wand and then ran. He carried on running until he reached where his friends were.

It was at that moment that the Order broke through the shields and swarmed into the Atrium. The Death Eaters turned to face this new attack and one Harry knew was called Dolohov shouted the Killing Curse.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Harry yelled for them to duck and that yell soon turned into a scream of horror as Ginny turned around and ducked moments too late. Her body was bathed in green as she was lifted into the air and fell some way away, her wand sliding out of her hand with a clatter.

"NO!"

That roar was one Harry never wanted to hear as he saw Ron run to the lifeless body of his sister, her eyes wide and glassy, still staring at the ceiling.

The Order had engaged with the Death Eaters now, fury and anger written all over their faces as they battled to avenge Ginny.

Harry turned to the place of tragedy, ignoring the warnings and shouts that were hurled his way. It seemed to really sink in at that moment. Ginny was dead. The breath within Harry seemed to rapidly leave him as his blood turned to ice and he felt dizzy. Ginny, dead. No…no… no she couldn't be , he wasn't letting anyone die…

Ron seemed to sense that Harry was watching him. The devastation burning in his eyes almost killed Harry there and then. Ron looked at him as if it was his fault. Then he spoke.

"…she's dead…" Ron croaked, voice cracking with emotion. "…she's dead… and it's your fault…"

Those words alone were enough for Harry to know that Ron would never forget or forgive Harry for what happened. In Ron's eyes, the blame for this tragedy would lay with Harry.

As if the grief was too much, Ron suddenly launched himself at Harry, punching and kicking any part of him he could reach. Harry pushed Ron away with a spell. Ron took this as a sign of aggression and drew his own.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Harry watched with numb shock and horror as his once best friend sent the Killing Curse in his direction. Suddenly he was saved when a huge weight crashed into him and forced him to the ground. He landed awkwardly, gasping as a rock hit the side of his face; he saw that it was a spell that saved him and as he lay there, he saw that the Order members were in various states of injury.

Tonks and Mad-Eye were on the floor, unconscious, where previously Dumbledore had been attempting to revive them. Lupin was dead, Harry realised with a jolt of horror. But it was then Harry realised that Dumbledore had been there. His brain suddenly went into overload. Why hadn't Dumbledore tried to protect him when he was up there with the Death Eaters? Why hadn't he caught them all?

But as Harry looked around, he saw that the Death Eaters were in fact, captured and tied up with what seemed to be invisible ropes. He turned to Dumbledore again. The Headmaster was shaking his head sadly.

"It had to be done Harry, it had to be done" he said.

Harry was confused. What had to be done? He realised when he saw Dumbledore looking sadly towards where Hermione and Ron were huddled, round Ginny. Looking to their left, he saw Neville cradling Luna, who had a broken arm. All this, this horror, this sadness, it had to be done.

"It was for the Greater Good Harry" he heard Dumbledore say.

Hatred for the Dumbledore rose in Harry like he'd never felt before. Harry was about to push himself up off of the floor and shout profanities at Dumbledore when he saw something snake-like and pale, with gleaming red eyes and slits for nostrils. Lord Voldemort walked into the Room, lipless mouth curled in a vicious grin

"Harry Potter" he hissed softly.

In one fluid movement, Dumbledore Banished the Order and the injured teenagers, along with Harry, over to the other side of the Atrium. Everyone was out cold except Harry so he didn't have to face a murderous Ron. Lying some way away, carefully suspended, was Ginny. Harry felt another throb of hatred. Dumbledore had let her die. And now he was going to take the glory by defeating Voldemort. No he bloody well wouldn't.

The Dark Lord and the Headmaster duelled, using spells Harry would never have normally recognised, but somehow he did. Pressure waves, acid sprays, gusts of wind and fire, even water-animation spells were used. Harry couldn't help but watch in awe as the magic crackled and sung, the air heavily laden with both Light and Dark.

It all changed however when Harry realised that his comrades were waking up. Not wanting to find out what Ron was going to do if he saw him nearby, Harry picked himself up and ran into the battle.

Dumbledore's eyes widened when he saw what Harry was doing and he attempted to wandlessly Banish Harry. Harry saw exactly what he was doing and brought up two shields; one to dispel the Cruciatus Curse sent by Voldemort; the other to send the Banishing Charm to Voldemort.

Voldemort saw what he had done and cancel the spell. Then with a flick of his wand, the greatest and most terrible Dark Lord of all time launched a barrage of spells at Dumbledore that caused the old man to go instantly on the defensive and retreat. Eventually one got through and brought Dumbledore to his knees. Wand still in hand, the aging Headmaster looked up at Voldemort as he spoke.

"Goodbye old man"

The jet of green left Voldemort's wand and Dumbledore found he didn't have the strength the move. But he was saved from doing so when a white bolt collided with the Killing Curse and sent it off course.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Bellatrix watched as Potter moved into action after diffusing the curse and Banished Dumbledore towards his friends for good measure. She had thought her master had finished the old man off once and for all, but it was not to be. She had whooped with joy as the Headmaster was brought down, as the Silencing Charm that he'd put on her and her fellow Death Eaters was broken, but had groaned when the boy and deflected it. But then it struck her. How could Potter, a boy still in Hogwarts, deflect a spell from her master, the greatest sorcerer the world had ever seen?

The groan turned to a scream however when she saw the boy defeating her master, his face a mask of pure rage as the Dark Lord suffered blow after blow at his hand. It was then that Bellatrix realised she was slightly – no, very- afraid of Potter. If he could perform magic like that now, Merlin knew what he would be able to do once he'd finished his education.

Her musings were cut short when her master grabbed her robes, and as they were all bound by enchantment, Appararted them all out of the Merlin-forsaken Ministry.

HB~HB~HB~HB~HB

Harry looked around debris his duel with Voldemort had caused. The energy and stamina involved had rapidly depleted his magical core and had almost rendered him unconscious. But summoning the last of his strength, he had forced the Dark Lord to flee, and had saved his friends.

He thought this was all rather something to be proud of as he lay on the floor, voices and shouts around him just a blur. Twenty minutes had passed since the duel had ended, and the Minister and some Aurors, and Healers from St Mungos had arrived to take care of the seen. While on the floor, he was guarded by two of the Aurors, an act for which he was immensely grateful as he really did not want to get up. He watched as each of his friends were taken out one by one, and his heart gave a little tug of grief as he watched Ginny's body leave. She didn't deserve to die. And it was all the fault of Dumbledore…

Speaking of which, he was currently engaged in conversation with Fudge. It seemed he'd managed to convince the Minister that Voldemort _really_ was back. From his position on the floor and his deliriousness, Harry couldn't tell what they were talking about. He mentally groaned however when the two Aurors were told by gesture from Fudge to pick him up.

Grasping his arms, they hauled Harry roughly to his feet and he stood there, supported and swaying as Dumbledore and Fudge walked up. Dumbledore said some words to Fudge so quietly Harry couldn't hear, but he had the bloody annoying sad look in his eyes.

_For the Greater Good…_

That memory prompted Harry to speak.

"Listen here, old man," he began, his voice slurred.

One of the Aurors Silenced him and it was then that Fudge spoke. His eyes didn't quite meet Harry's and he fiddled with his bowler hat nervously. Then, with a small nod from Dumbledore, the Minister cleared his throat and spoke to Harry, eyes still averted. Harry couldn't ignore the felling of dread in his chest.

"Harry James Potter, you are being charged with the murders of Ginevra Weasley, and three Ministry Employees. You are also charged with numerous other crimes that will be brought forth when you stand Trial. Until then, you will be permanently Stunned and held in a Ministry Holding Cell until said Trial is held."

That sobered Harry up. He looked wildly from Dumbledore to Fudge as he snapped his head up. The looks on their faces were adamant. He was being tried for murder. Harry tried to complain, to say they had this all wrong, but a jet of red hit his chest before he could make any sound.

**Sorry this took so long to write. Real life got in the way and the computer I was using thought it'd be funny to delete this chapter, so I had to re-write it. Plus I wasn't happy with some of it. But it's here now.**

**The flashbacks will continue for the next few chapter's, then you'll find out what happens to Harry as he leaves the Veil. I need your reviews to tell me how this story is going and what you think. So remember, please review. Hope you enjoyed this one. **

Ventus Surgo – literally means 'Wind Surge' – it's a powerful gust of wind that blows anything in it's path over.

Mutilo – 'Mutilate' – I think that one speaks for itself.

Pressori Senies – 'Pressure Waves' – deadly pressure waves that alter the pressure of the area where the spell is cast. Particularly deadly as they can either make you explode or implode. No wonder Harry chose it, it has interesting results.

Fumus Nebulae – 'Smoke Cloud' – basically a smoke shield.


End file.
